Guidelines To Healthy Eating

The Standard American Diet

In American public schools, the USDA allows pizza with two tablespoons of tomato paste to qualify as a vegetable.

Even at an early age, – based on convenience, cheapness, or advertising – many Americans are given a misleading perception of the foods we should eat and what our bodies need.

Americans are not getting the nutrients needed from food and this ultimately results in chronic inflammation and disease. We are plant deprived! Our bodies are adapting to this lifestyle and this adaptation is called “disease.”

Our clinic offers nutritional counseling and supplementation to help modify your diet based on your current health.

Guidelines to Healthy Eating: Beginner

The Standard American Diet (aka “SAD Diet”) is the diet that the majority of Americans have conformed to. Because of our lifestyles, occupations, habits, marketing, and food options, we have developed a very inefficient way to provide our body the nutrients it needs.

Here is a representation of Americans who, unknowingly, are on the SAD Diet:

In American school lunches, ketchup, french fries, and pasta sauce are all considered “vegetables.” Americans are not getting the nutrients needed through their food and this ultimately results in chronic inflammation and disease. We are plant deprived! Our bodies are adapting to this lifestyle and this adaptation is called “disease.”

Getting On The Right Path: Supplementation

Supplementation is a MUST as we change our lifestyle habits to get back on track. Imagine that you’re $50,000 in debt and choose to make only the minimum payments, there is no way you are ever going to break the surface and beat that debt. We owe the same “nutritional debt” to our bodies when we follow the USDA’s “Recommended Daily Allowances” (RDA). We need to take more than the RDA recommends to get ourselves out of that ‘debt’ and back on track.

Over 37% of people in the Midwest are morbidly obese. We can do something about this! An adequate diet recommended by the USDA prevents gross nutritional deficiency, but again, we need to get ourselves out of the hole of debt. An optimal diet improves performance and promotes health and longevity.

Once we begin this journey into healthy eating and lifestyle changes, we will begin to change the “I should” into “I choose to.” To obtain “optimal health,” it is truly up to the individual to decide to make a change. Most of our clinic’s recommendations for supplementation are not covered by insurance companies, so this forces the individual to take control of their health and do what is needed to get better. By following some simple rules and changing out nutritional habits, we can extend the quality and quantity of life.

“We live too short and die too long.”

We have one body and one life. Don’t you want to feel the best you can during this short time on this earth? Statistics show that by 2030, nearly 150 million Americans will have at least 1 chronic disease. Think about that. One in two Americans will have a chronic disease by 2030 and this includes children, adults, and the elderly. Already 1 in 10 Adults and 1 in 15 children have an activity-limiting chronic disease. This is a true result of our “SAD” diet. Obesity doesn’t just hurt, it limits a lifespan by 8-30 years. Body fat is an ‘organ of inflammation’ and is the common denominator of all chronic disease.

We, as Americans, are overfed and undernourished. Atherosclerosis is already found in children aged 2-15, and in 30% of young adults! Diabetes in children is rising at an exponential rate! I want you to think of our bodies as a fish tank. If you slow down the filtration system, put too much fish food in the tank and stop treating the water, what will that fish tank look like and how long do you think those fish will survive in that quality of water? Again, we need to change our internal environment to heal and thrive in this world.

The "ABCDs" to Eating Healthy

A.

Avoid foods that inflame the body.

Specific foods are toxic to the body and feed disease; the body reacts with inflammation. When the body is constantly inflamed and fighting the food we eat, it cannot focus on regular bodily functions or fighting off other illnesses or disease.

Foods to Avoid:

Red Meat

Dairy

Alcohol

Soda & Sugary Juices

Sugar

White Flour Products (i.e. bread or pasta)

B.

Balance your meals with foods that nourish your body.

Begin to balance the proportion of healthy foods on your plate with vegetables, fish and whole fruits.

C.

Chew. Chew. Chew your food.

When was the last time you thought about the act of chewing while chewing your food? Digestion begins in the mouth and this is where we start to break down nutrients to an absorbable form.

Chew your food until it is liquid before swallowing. This may take up to 30 chews. Be conscious of chewing and it will help you better absorb and slow down your eating habits.

D.

Drink pure water throughout the day.

Your body is up to 60% water and it is essential to the normal functions of your organs. It should be your goal to drink ½ your body weight in ounces every day in divided doses. That means if you weigh 150lbs, you should drink 75ozs of water at a rate of 1/4 to 1/2 cup every half hour.

Avoid Sugary Drinks

Limit your sugar intake to under 23 grams of sugar per day. Just one 12-ounce can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar, and we’ve had some patients that drink over 6 cans of soda per day. As well, limit the amount of coffee, soda, and caffeinated beverages that you drink. Avoid fruit juices that do not provide fiber and contain high levels of sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.

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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Brown Family Chiropractic, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. We do not recommend any dosages until the patient has been evaluated by our doctors. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the doctors at Brown Family Chiropractic and their community. Dr. Brown & Dr. Pfarr encourage you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.